The Dark Ages: Convergence (Prequel to the P.O.E. Chronicles)

Chapter 6 Escape

*Image is of Alice Vikander - who plays Anastasia*

I can't believe where the facility is located. In fact, I feel sick to my stomach right now.

The supermarket that I visited two years ago stands right before me. It doesn't look any different than it did that day. I look up at the tall, glassy building behind. It's as battered and derelict as the rest, but apparently it's a different world inside.

There's no point in letting myself believe that the proximity of the supermarket and the facility is a coincident. They must have tailed me that day and saw what Arielle can do. Guilt tear through me and my anger rise higher than I thought possible. This is all my fault. If I have been more careful, then Arielle wouldn't end up like this.

I let the anger wash over me; my instinct knows how to use the power better than me. And the less thought I give it, the better. I can figure everything out after this.

Papa and Howard had entered through a broken fence east of the compound. The security is tighter than it looks and Rory urged me to be careful. I know that even with my new found power, I won't make it out alive if I alert them to my presence all at once. I need more than that. I need this place destroyed inside and out.

Getting past the gate is easy; I wonder whether their security has always been this bad, or is something else happening. Papa mentioned that they have recently captured two girls. Can it be them who are attracting all their attention? Bile rises in my stomach at the thought of those girls suffering the same fate as Arielle.

Rory has even managed to get detailed entrance points from Papa and Howard. The chances are they would have tightened security after Arielle's rescue, but I am more than happy to take them. These people deserve to die for what they did. What they are doing.

As soon as I get close enough to the building, I drop down to my knees and hide in the shadow, waiting to hear something, anything, that would give the guards' position away. It'd be much easier if I am in the dark.

The dark.

An idea came to me and I almost laugh at why I haven't thought about it before. The only thing I need to do is to find a door that leads underground.

It took me a while, but I finally found a door that's completely out of sight. It is locked, of course, but that doesn't hinder me. Not anymore.

I squint at the lock and narrow my eyes. I don't even need to imagine the lock turning; it's like my mind is a muscle and I am in complete control of it. The handle crackles loudly and the door burst open; I might have been a little too forceful on this.

Equal part scared and excited about being found so early on, I go down the flight of stairs and find myself in a nondescript basement. The long, narrow corridor is dark and deserted, and I can't even see to the other end. Problem number one just presented itself: how do I know where the generator is?

After roaming the corridors for a good half an hour, I let out a frustrated groan. I have expected there to be hurdles, yes, but being lost under the base trying to find the generator is the stupidest thing.

A sudden cracking sound ricochet through the tiny space, follow by hissing and some bright lights. Hairline cracks appear on the wall and rapidly spread into larger fractures, exposing the cables running inside it. I gasp, then laugh. I have unknowingly damaged the infrastructure and cut their electricity.

My heart was filled with equal part excitement and horror at what I have just done. My uncontrolled action has solved all my problem. Now all I have to do is get out. But first, I must find out more about these people. Most groups and communities out there barely have time and resources to survive, how are these people running experiments?